Apparatus for the generation of combustible gas or vapor from liquid fuel.



F. G. L. BIDDLECOMBE.

APPARATUS FOR THE GENERATION 0F COMBUSTIBLE GAS 0R VAPOR FROM LIQUID FUEL.

APPLICAT|0N FILED DEC. 13, l9l 2- 1,147,363., Patented July 20, 1915.

FRANK GUY LANG IBIDDLECOM'BE, OF LUTON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE WEST- MINSTER OARBURETTOB COMPANY LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR TIE-IE GENERATION OF COMBUSTIBLE GAS OR VAPOR FROM LIQUID FUEL.

Patented J uly20, 1915.

Application filed December 13, 1912. Serial Nb. 736,521.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that. I. FRANK GUY LANG Binmaacoamn, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Luton, England. (whose post-oflice address is 29 Kenilworth road, Luton, in the county of Bedford, England.) have invented Improvements Relating to Apparatus for the Generation of Combustible Gas or Vapor from Liquid Fuel.

This invention relates to an apparatus for the generation of a combustible gas or vapor from heavy liquid hydrocarbon fuels such as paratlin that cannot be so readily vaporized as petrol or other of the lighter hydrocarbons.

The gas produced may be used for motive power purposes of many kinds and the apparatus.hereinafter called a generator-is modified according to the purpose for which the gas is to be used.

My device broadly speaking is as fol- 1 lows:Fuel in a liquid stateeither in the form of a stream or of coarse drops-is supplied to the generator simultaneously with a quantity of ;.ir sufficient to burn completely part of the fuel, the fuel is heated and vaporized, and a port-ion of the fuel is burnt by the aid of the air. all of which is used. while the remainder of the fuel. passing in an unburnt condition through this burning region. is thereby changed into a gasor vapor or mixture of both, which is employed for motive power purposes.

l .ceording to the present invention, the operation and control of my in vent-ion in its different stages, is accomplished by applying suction to one end of the generator. this serving to draw off the combustible gas pro duced. and to draw into the generator the fuel and the necessary supply of air, the fuel being drawn in through a nozzle and the air through a suitable part or parts.

The invention is especially applicable for use on motor vehicles. the suction then being provided by the induction stroke of the motor.

i The apparatus as adapted for use on motor cars is comparable in action and eflicieney with the jet carburetors for petrol.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in vertical section a form of the invention. suitable for use on the internal combustion engines of motor cars.- Fig. 2 is an closed by a shallow tray 4. This inlet 3 communicates with a connection-box 5 into which a tube 6 from a float chamber 7 projects. the float in the latter automatically controlling the supply from the main oil tank. as in the well-known float-feed carbureter. A limited supply of air is also admitted into the box 5 through a perforated plug 8, described more fully hereafter. lVithin the 'shell 1 is an open hollow cylinder 9 situated so as to leave a space 10 between it and the shell 1. The lower end of the shell 1 is enlarged in diameter and then folded inwardly upon itself in the form of a thick flange 11 of special shape. as hereinafter specified. The bottom 12 of the cylinder 9 does not touch the flange v11; its upper end is contracted at 13 and protrudes hrough the roof of the chamber 2,

into a hollow top piece 1% fitted with a flange 15 suitable for connecting directly or indirectly to the engine cylinder. The shallow tray t above mentioned is suspended by a.- rod 16 which extends upward throughout the combined length of the shell 1 and piece 14, and, projecting through a gland or suitable opening in the latter, is provided externally with an eccentric 17, having a linger 18. by which the rod 16 may be raised or lowered. The effect of lowering the latter is to lower the tray 4, until there is an air space between the edge of the tray and the open bottom .or flange 11 of the shell 1. When raised again, the tray closes up against the flange 11. The lower end of the rod 16 preferably carries a nut 19, above which is a spring 20. both of these being underneath the tray 4.

The external wall of the cylinder 9 is formed with an open spiral 21 serving as a. conduit for allowing the oil or mixture of oil and air to travel over a large area of the wall before reaching the bottom. The upper extremity of this spiral 21..is surrounded by a band 22 Which prevents any air, vapor orv spray from passing down below excepting along this portion of the spiraL ficiontly soaked,

The rooeiving chamivor 2 upon Foo top of *she shell 1, communicoizos downwmwiiy Wi'ijii fuel passages 23 situaivefi. immediately above the spiral 21.

The sh ape of the apparatus may he varieoi consiciombiy Withom'i; departing from its essentiai foatures.

The mofshool of twin 1 apparmzus as follows: The tray is owei'ec i, and supplied first Wi'h absorbent; l'natoriai such as annuiar Wick 24: and than with oi supp-Rafi. from the nozzio 6 by holding open the volvo-- stom of the flout-chamber 7. thus fiooaiimg the labial" causin overflow through the nozzle. 5 on the Wisk it is i "ed with The 811%1119 is then stai U 3 run Wiih tho gas givon ofi' by $116 burning; materiai. The tray 4: is now raise c10sing" the air spans, and the supply from oil tub-s 6 air ping 8 onion; the chmrbor 2 through tho inlet 3 21-1161 passes down illiif) the spiml 2 1 over the surface of H16 ofiinder S, which is now very highly heatec'i owing to ihs flame from 719 tray The mixture catches fire before it reassenrls tho intorior of file cylimloi' 9 but 0? insufficiency of air there is only p21 a oomimstion. unconsumo fuel which $255135 in the engine is of a quality and caiorifio value suificiei t $0 sati ify fihe roquiremems a roliable gas pmlucer 13o: motivepower purposes. The production. of the oombus s bio gas IEO? use; in the moor is than @011 ously carrieri on as follows :--Fuei (and? oil) is sucked inio the apparatus by indoc tion-stroko of fiho motor, anti. men 201% voyed along $119 hoi: spiral 21 2111i vaporized to some (axiom; "i-hhl i posses, together Wiibh a. further suppiy of air, obtainai through theiloles (si'absoquently desoz'ibe} into a. zone Whom of ii is bumit, the air 913w mitted being insui'fioiont'to burn it 2313 but enough to maintain a iempomwro in zone which will consume a succeeing charge fuel air, a the romainfier suf'iicientiy ho oomyleie the vaporization, or possibly prodaoe gas. "When starting theappom'vus 5mm cold, '51 at part of the gen 1'1 X which WW porizes the fuel bio heai'zoii in tho firsfi; instance by a torch or other suitable means, such as a wink fed with oil. The mm method, if pm only of ho oii iii} wick be burnt, serves to suppiy on which tho motor can be run. during o fir-5i; strokes. Any failure. in the 5 restored while rimming {aiier 3, mm pages} by moguls off: sparkin may be necessary when been closed (hiring a free 111 The, fuel is delivered quantities propo riionzd to motor, and may ho 3. 263 fchmu "1 :1 2102218 contro'flaai by a float *1 is suf of oii.

match. o6, and W111 brawn iofoofiin above filo shell and four w of car bure am? proviioci they-oat i=1 hole, and when filo ping the bot'com 26 presses tho it-0p of no mm 6 which 15; z'ooliy v pipe 0 .ssagos are m tho 0 d an: to pass out into an mmuizir oi-med by roducing; the thi "knees; of the ping) being (iranz'i in'o i he iniofi'. 3. H the fine hole the "which the oi is admitted should become 1' oidanmi y sioppexi it can be easily rencioecll by removing the plug 8, the hole being in the plug moi not, usual in the nozzle.

The flange, 11 is chamxoieii at 29 formed with :1 baffle 30, file reason he that air admittel to the channel ihrough bolas 31, which are formed in annular Shanna having two or three aromas 3-3, which be roguia T For: access of a limitod suppiy of air.

In oriior 0 as a guiffe for sfiem 16, the ihas a central upturned core: Enron *h 'wi'iich the lower part of the sizom 1.5 passes.

The combustible gas or vapor requiros of course, a further supp'iy of air, before i tion in the combustion chamber of the mo 'sor can take place. his air may, if ciesno ilE/fi' bfifi before ildllliliflli'e so that air and meet appmximateiy the some 'aempezw Zorro.

T3 is not ea entioi that any air at ail ii drawn in flirougi'i the, some passage as film parzx'fiin for I not require to obtain any vaporizing ootion such as might be imagined io take place similarly to $332 formation of Vapor when air is drawn 11 nozzle. The two may therefore be drawn in quite indepenoiently throng dif fereni'; Whero however they are drawn in through filo same passage, ifiley may bo subsequently separateci in an easy manner by inte i'posing doplicate lower and; higl ier one. The paraffin W (imp into fits iower one, whilo the air Wiii pass through the higher, anal can be rein trofiucodi to the pa-rafiin vapor before they reach 31% fiery zono.

In fowms of tho invombion ofiaer than timso immtlod for use on motor cars, the iucti fi proiuce by forooci or natural k: 1:; other suitobie nearls magi may so 3113 or intermiitenfi. fl. n:

1'. A maria-i301 comprising a shoii, i'uoi base of the shell for heating the cylinder,

and means for adjusting the first mentioned means with relation to the shell.

2. A generator comprising a shell, a cylinder in the shell, and arranged in spaced relation therewith, a spirally arranged flange on the cylinder, means supported above the cylinder for supplying fuel to the flange, means at the base of the cylinder thereof, a cylinder a shell, a spirally arran for heating the cylinder, means for adjusting the means with relation to the cylinder and means for embracing the upper extremity of the flange for concentrating the flow of fuel to the flanges.

3. A generator comprising a shell, a fuel chamber above the shell and forming a part supported within the ed flange on the cylinder, said flange" for ing a fuel channel to receive fuel from the fuel chamber, a tray supported under the shell, means in the tray shell, said flange for supplying heat to the cylinder, means extending into the shell for maintaining a fiery zone between the cylinder and the shell,

and means for adjusting the tray with relation to the shell.

at. A generator comprising a shell, a fuel chamber above the shell, means for admiting fuel to the fuel chamber, a cylinder in the shell, a spirally arranged flange on the forming a fuel-channel, said shell having air inlets adjacent the lower ends thereof, a bafile adjacent the openings, a tray adjacent'the lower end of the shell, means in the tray for heating the cylinder and means for adjusting the tray with relation to the shell.

5. A generator comprising a shell, a fuel chamber above the shell, a cylinder in the shell, said cylinder having a spirally arranged flange said fuel chamber having openings for admitting fuel to the flange, a tray under the shell, means in the tray for adjusting the tray with relation to the shell.

FRANK GUY LANG BIDDLECOMBE.

Witnesses:

A. H. STANLEY, CHAS. J. FALoonnR. 

